Will Umno realise there’s no place for violence?

A few weeks ago, disgraced, former PM Najib Abdul Razak was riding high on his newly reworked image, called “Bossku”, but after the thuggish behaviour of his supporters, he is back in the gutter.

On Friday, a small group of Universiti Malaya students holding placards and Fahmi Reza’s caricature of a clown-face Najib, took part in a “silent protest” to remind Najib and others of his wrongdoings. They stood silently opposite a restaurant at the entrance of Universiti Malaya, where Najib was speaking with other students.

Wong Yan Ke, who is the president of the University Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany), was with five others, when they were attacked by Umno-Baru Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam.

A man in a white shirt grabbed Wong by the neck, in a chokehold, and then attempted to drag him over a railing. Wong was then slapped, his hair yanked, and given a bloody lip.

The students had to be rescued by policemen.

Will Umno-Baru ever learn? Thuggish behaviour and violence is never the answer.

What is the point of Malaysian politicians condemning the shooting in New Zealand, or the racist rant of an Australian senator, when at home, Umno-Baru’s supporters are given free rein to attack those with whom they disagree, or those who dare to oppose their views?

This is the horrible psyche of the Ketuanan Melayu people, who think that they should reign supreme.

Lokman has been severely condemned by former Umno-Baru Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin and also by Najib; but there were no other voices of condemnation from Umno-Baru.

Khairy was livid about the fracas and said, “Agree. Umno must condemn this thuggish behaviour.”

With so much adverse publicity generated by the violence of the Umno-Baru people, Najib was forced to publically denounce the attack. He said, “I regret that reporters were caught up in the altercation and that the provocation and the subsequent scuffle took place.”

Of course he would say that. It would not help his image, if he had said nothing about the violence or had just dismissed the fact that the students had been attacked. Reporters who managed to film the violence were then harassed by the Umno-Baru group.

Would Najib have condemned the attack if it had not been filmed?

When will Umno-Baru learn not to attack people? They are no longer in power, but they still have not learned that violence is never the way.

Umno-Baru have had a long and chequered history of co-ordinating violence when they oppose something or someone. It is widely accepted that in public, their leaders may claim they are not involved. It is easy to keep their hands clean, because few know what has happened behind the scenes.

In 2012, the Anything-But-Umno (ABU) movement joined Hindraf leaders at a dialogue at the Shah Alam Community Centre. Halfway through the meeting, the ceramah was surrounded by a group of Umno-Baru thugs on kapcais, who broke up the peaceful Q&A dialogue. The thugs threw bottles of water and raced their kapcais inside the village hall, scaring off many villagers, most of whom were elderly and feared for their lives. The police were predictably slow to act.

In January 2014, during an Umno-Baru demonstration, its leaders paraded a banner which read, “Because of DAP leaders’ mouth, May 13, 1969, happened…Want some more?”

This act of provocation was condemned by the Seri Delima DAP assemblyman, RSN Rayer, who described the protestors as “Umno celaka”. In retaliation, Umno Baru showed their contempt for the Penang state assembly and barged into the legislative chamber demanding to see Rayer. They caused a lot of damage and had no respect for the legislature.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur, the Federal Territory Umno-Baru Youth chief, Mohd Razlan Mohd Rafii, threatened to burn the DAP headquarters. Razlan led a group of protestors to DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. He issued threats and jabbed his fingers in the face of a DAP representative and said, “I warn you. If you humiliate our party and race again, we will burn this building down — this building, which has produced many racists.” All around, there were shouts of “Let’s burn it down” followed by “Kill them!”

In November 2016, a group of Umno-Baru thugs descended on the then Opposition MP Khalid Samad in the grounds of Parliament. Two of those who attacked him were the sons of the Pasir Salak Umno-Baru MP, Tajudin Abdul Rahman. Despite the disrespect of Parliament in creating a riot there, the attackers were only charged with minor offences and fined a paltry RM100 each.

There are other incidents, but it remains to be said that Umno-Baru are not interested in dialogue. Their leaders are unable to control their people. After New Zealand, we should know better, but it appears that Umno-Baru is unwilling to learn.

There is no place for violence in our society. Can Umno-Baru supporters understand this? - FMT